"I would never raise my voice at a student and shame the individual. But early in the year, before the kids really know me, I will do one freak-out when the whole class is talking and not paying attention, to let them all see that I have it in me. I've found that it's key to do this in the beginning--if you don't establish who's in charge from the start, it's nearly impossible to ever crack the whip."

Photo: Meiko Arquillos, Getty Images

THE BEST WAY TO DEPLOY ANGER:

"I would never raise my voice at a...

Image 3 of 9

HOW TO WIN ANYONE OVER:

"Humor works well. For example, a student once pulled out his cell phone to text under his desk during one of the first weeks of the school year. I called out, 'Evan, your girlfriend can't live a minute without you?' When he looked up at me, I gave him a goofily raised eyebrow. Joking around with him like that eventually got him on my team--and despite the warnings I had from other teachers, he didn't cause any big discipline problems, and his writing skills improved."

Photo: Mike Kemp, Getty Images

HOW TO WIN ANYONE OVER:

"Humor works well. For example, a...

Image 4 of 9

THE REAL REASON THAT TEACHERS BURN OUT:

"The students are rarely the cause--it's most often because of politics and silly policies put in place by administrators, politicians, and school board members. Right now, the No Child Left Behind Act has made improving test scores the top priority, so a lot of time and energy are going into test prep. This is at the expense of critical thinking and writing exercises. We're raising a generation of test drones instead of creative problem solvers."

Photo: Blend Images/Ariel Skelley, Getty Images

THE REAL REASON THAT TEACHERS BURN OUT:

"The students are rarely...

Image 5 of 9

WHAT KEEPS ME CALM DURING TENSE MOMENTS:

"Difficult parents are the reason I keep my fridge at home stocked with beer! Seriously, it used to really get to me when they screamed at me during a parent-teacher conference or yelled on the phone. But now I pause, take a deep breath, and speak calmly. Sometimes I'll say, 'I can see you're upset. Maybe we should talk about this at a later time.' After teaching for nearly a decade, I've learned that it's their problem, not mine, and if I don't engage, the rude and loud parents will quiet down. It's hard for someone to keep ranting without starting to feel crazy. Usually the parents realize they're behaving poorly, which defuses the situation."

Photo: Bruce Laurance, Getty Images

WHAT KEEPS ME CALM DURING TENSE MOMENTS:

"Difficult parents are...

Image 6 of 9

THE TRUTH ABOUT EDUCATION:

"It starts at home. If learning isn't valued there, a middle schooler is unlikely to see the importance of it. More than the angry emails or voicemails that parents leave me, it's the unreturned emails and the messages that uninvolved parents don't leave me that really worry me."

Photo: Katrina Wittkamp, Getty Images

THE TRUTH ABOUT EDUCATION:

"It starts at home. If learning isn't...

Image 7 of 9

HOW TO LOVE YOUR JOB:

"Whenever a student makes me laugh, says something brilliant, or does something kind for a classmate, I make a point of stopping the class to say out loud, 'This is why I teach middle school.' I do it to keep myself focused on the positive."

Photo: Jamie Grill, Getty Images

HOW TO LOVE YOUR JOB:

"Whenever a student makes me laugh, says...

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IF ALL ELSE FAILS, PLAY DINOSAUR:

"A few days ago, a student asked, 'How did T-rexes do anything with those tiny arms?' Soon the class and I were crawling around the room with our fingers curled into tiny claws. It was hilarious. I am 31 years old, and I laugh often, without control, nearly every day. The kids make all the frustrations of teaching worth it."

"I would never raise my voice at a student and shame the individual. But early in the year, before the kids really know me, I will do one freak-out when the whole class is talking and not paying attention, to let them all see that I have it in me. I've found that it's key to do this in the beginning--if you don't establish who's in charge from the start, it's nearly impossible to ever crack the whip."

Meiko Arquillos/Getty ImagesMagnusTHE BEST WAY TO DEPLOY ANGER: ImageNothing

"Humor works well. For example, a student once pulled out his cell phone to text under his desk during one of the first weeks of the school year. I called out, 'Evan, your girlfriend can't live a minute without you?' When he looked up at me, I gave him a goofily raised eyebrow. Joking around with him like that eventually got him on my team--and despite the warnings I had from other teachers, he didn't cause any big discipline problems, and his writing skills improved."

"The students are rarely the cause--it's most often because of politics and silly policies put in place by administrators, politicians, and school board members. Right now, the No Child Left Behind Act has made improving test scores the top priority, so a lot of time and energy are going into test prep. This is at the expense of critical thinking and writing exercises. We're raising a generation of test drones instead of creative problem solvers."

"Difficult parents are the reason I keep my fridge at home stocked with beer! Seriously, it used to really get to me when they screamed at me during a parent-teacher conference or yelled on the phone. But now I pause, take a deep breath, and speak calmly. Sometimes I'll say, 'I can see you're upset. Maybe we should talk about this at a later time.' After teaching for nearly a decade, I've learned that it's their problem, not mine, and if I don't engage, the rude and loud parents will quiet down. It's hard for someone to keep ranting without starting to feel crazy. Usually the parents realize they're behaving poorly, which defuses the situation."

"It starts at home. If learning isn't valued there, a middle schooler is unlikely to see the importance of it. More than the angry emails or voicemails that parents leave me, it's the unreturned emails and the messages that uninvolved parents don't leave me that really worry me."

"Whenever a student makes me laugh, says something brilliant, or does something kind for a classmate, I make a point of stopping the class to say out loud, 'This is why I teach middle school.' I do it to keep myself focused on the positive."

Jamie Grill/Getty ImagesMagnusHOW TO LOVE YOUR JOB: ImageNothing

"A few days ago, a student asked, 'How did T-rexes do anything with those tiny arms?' Soon the class and I were crawling around the room with our fingers curled into tiny claws. It was hilarious. I am 31 years old, and I laugh often, without control, nearly every day. The kids make all the frustrations of teaching worth it."